Category: Vegan Beans and Legumes

by betsy

Vegan Spinach-Three Bean Dip Gets All Dressed Up

Presentation is everything, no?

Recently, I needed to make a batch of my almost-famous Vegan Spinach-Three Bean Dip for a National Art Honor Society meeting. As my school’s sponsor, I created it a few years back knowing how popular spinach dip is, but wanting the kids to have a protein boost in their afternoon snack. It was a huge hit and my students still ask for it.

For this month’s meeting, I held a little back so that I could photograph it in a different guise than previously presented. In an earlier post, it looks as I intended: hearty and ready for the big game in front of the TV.

Here, I was going for a lighter and slightly more elegant presentation: a dollop in a Frito “Scoop.” Given the humble makings of spinach dip, some folks may think that trying to dress it up is futile, but since we eat with our eyes first, to me it’s like the difference between an ice cream scoop in a cone and one in a pretty parfait glass.

However you serve it, you’re sure to love it.

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by betsy

Vegan White Bean, Pistachio and Sage Spread

Yield: approximately 2 cups

2 tablespoons olive oil
leaves from 3 nice size sprigs of fresh sage
1-15 ounce can white beans (like cannellini), rinsed and drained
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
juice of one lemon
approximately 6 tablespoons of olive oil, or enough to reach desired consistency
pinch of sweet or smoky paprika
coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Garnish: a sprig of fresh sage

Accompaniment: heated or grilled whole wheat pita triangles, toasts or crackers

In a cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add fresh sage leaves and heat for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently, to release fragrance. Remove from heat and place in processor with all remaining ingredients except garnish. Process until fairly smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Serve with pita, toasts or crackers.
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by betsy

Another Vegan Recipe from The Blooming Platter Featured in FARM’s "Meatout Monday" eNewsletter

The folks at FARM, including my contact, Cindi Saadi, are such great supporters of The Blooming Platter. Once again this week, they featured the following recipe in their Meatout Mondays eNewsletter:

Vegan Black Bean, Roated Corn and Orange Salad with Vegan Cumin-Citrus Dressing and Vegan Sweet and Spicy Paprika Pecans

They do important work and are great people to work with, so I hope you might visit their site and consider signing up for their eNewsletter, joining their organization or whatever suits you. (There is also a link to them under “Important Platters” in my sidebar). If you are interested in their animal rights conference this July in D.C., please click on the banner at the top of my sidebar.

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by betsy

Vegan Black Bean, Roated Corn and Orange Salad with Vegan Cumin-Citrus Dressing and Vegan Sweet and Spicy Paprika Pecans

Yield: 10-12 servings

I created this salad last Sunday for a potluck dinner party that night. All of the food that our friends brought was so beautiful and summery. My contribution of veggies and black beans lightly tossed with a citrusy dressing flecked with herbs from our garden was one of two vegan dishes. The other was a pineapple-mango salsa (which I’ll post soon), and both were crowd-pleasers.

I don’t typically like to create work for myself, but it really was worth roasting the fresh corn for a deeper flavor even though that meant cutting it off the cob which can be messy. (However, I learned a trick somewhere that should have been quite obvious: instead of holding the cob upright to slice off the kernels, lie it down horizontally. It prevents the kernels from popping off in every direction. Why hadn’t I ever thought of that?) Plus, using fresh corn means you will have cobs left over for making stock.

 

 

For this recipe and some 170+ more,

I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:

A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press

Spring 2011

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by betsy

Vegan Indian Pigeon Peas over Fragrant Vegan Rice

Yield: 4 servings

A recipe in a culinary magazine inspired this fragrant, tasty and beautiful dish, perfect for when fresh produce is not at its peak. After reading the recipe I cut it out, but misplaced it. So I didn’t have the option of consulting it while cooking. However, I’m pretty sure there were not tomatoes in the original, but I had a leftover cup and I’m always in search of ways to add color and nutrition to the food I enjoy. As for all the rest, I seem to recall that coriander and cumin were among the spices used. But I can’t even remember if it called for coconut milk. Regardless, I love my version and hope you will too.

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon coriander seeds (or, in a pinch, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds (or, in a pinch, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin)
1 small chili pepper, seeds and membrane removed, very finely chopped (or 1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes–NOT chili powder)
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, sliced or minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup petite diced tomatoes in juice
1 can coconut milk (not Cream of Coconut; I use “lite”)
1 can pigeon peas, drained (rinse and then drain if desired)
1-2 teaspoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
coarse sea or kosher salt, if needed (go easy on additional salt)
Fragrant Vegan Rice (see recipe below)
Garnish: cashew halves and pieces and/or finely chopped fresh cilantro

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat oil until shimmering. Add corriander and cumin seeds and stir fry just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chili pepper, onion and garlic and saute until softened. Stir in turmeric until completely distributed. (Note: if using the ground spices, add after onion has softened slightly.) Stir in tomatoes and coconut milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by 1/3-1/2 and thickened. Stir in peas and heat through. Stir in vegan butter just before serving. Check for salt and add only if needed. Serve over Fragrant Vegan Rice garnished with cashews and/or cilantro.

Fragrant Vegan Rice

2 cups water
coarse sea or kosher salt
1 stick cinnamon, broken in half
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds (you may use pods, but I like the seeds for a change, as they disperse throughout the rice)
2/3 cup basmati rice

In a large saucepan, bring first 4 ingredients to a boil, stir in in rice, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-10 minutes or until rice is tender and all water is absorbed/evaporated. Check periodically to make sure that rice isn’t sticking but, otherwise, leave undisturbed.

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by betsy

Vegan Black Eyed Pea-Spinach Cakes with Vegan Sundried Tomato and Caper "Tartar" Sauce

Yield: 12 main dish cakes, 24 appetizer or 36 hors d’oeuvres portions

At Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law, Tina, and I made Vegan Thai Corn Fritters that were a big hit. Ever since, I’ve wanted to try the same basic method using other vegetables and legumes. So, when I saw a vacuum sealed box of seasoned and cooked black eyed peas in the grocery store, this southern girl knew just what she’d do with them. And, boy, am I glad I did.

Though fried in canola oil, these hearty and colorful cakes are otherwise nutritional powerhouses and lip-smacking good. Black eyed peas, fresh spinach, red bell pepper, green onion, parsley and seasonings are bound together by pureed tofu and a mixture of flour and panko bread crumbs for a little crunch.

The tangy sundried tomato and caper-studded mayo is just the right creamy kick to set complement the cakes’ creamy-chewy-crispy goodness. Garnished with parsley, grape tomatoes and lemon slices, they are pretty as a picture, don’t you think?

I hope you enjoy this sanitized version of southern soul food.

For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

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by betsy

Vegan Quinoa Pilaf with Leeks, Edamame, Red Chard and Mushrooms

Yield: 8 servings

Today, our friends Diane O’Neal (who is also our top-notch dance teacher) and her partner Steven Taylor, invited us to his parents’ charming cottage near the beach for a lovely Easter feast with friends and family. It seems that around every corner in their eclectic art- and flower-filled home were beautiful vignettes of good wines and delectable food. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect for such an occasion–sunny and warm–with company and conversation to match the gorgeous food and setting.

For my contribution, I set out to make a quinoa and red lentil pilaf using a recipe that I wanted to adapt. But I overcooked the lentils, which turned out to be a happy accident because I turned them into a Vegan Red Lentil and Pistachio Spread. I also didn’t have enough quinoa, so I mixed it with an equal amount of millet. Another happy “misfortune.” In the fridge, I had some leeks that I substituted for the onion and ravishing red chard that I subbed for regular chard. Since I couldn’t use the lentils, I needed another legume and decided on edamame, which I didn’t have, but I needed to run to the grocery store to purchase the mushrooms anyway. I do believe that the combination was spot-on in terms of texture, taste and color. A sprinkling of nutritional yeast deepened the flavors in just the right way and a garnish of pea sprouts and lemon zest finished off this hearty and savory, but springy, dish.

For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

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by betsy

Vegan White Beans and "Chicken" with Caramelized Onion, Golden Raisin and Toasted Pine Nut Ragout

Yield: 4 servings

Honestly, I could eat all four servings of this dish at one sitting. There is something about the balance of contrasting tastes and textures that absolutely does it for me. And setting the creamy melange off with a perky side salad of lightly dressed baby spinach and grape tomatoes just sends it right off the charts. I hope you agree.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 small onions
3 cloves garlic
Coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup dry-sweet white wine
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
2 tablespoon maple syrup
generous 1/4 cup fresh minced parsley
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted in a small dry skillet on top of the stove, just until fragrant and barely golden
1 can white beans, preferably the tiny little ones (I didn’t drain and rinse them, as they had little “juice,” but you can if you prefer)
4 ounces Morning Star Meal Starters chicken flavored strips, thawed
optional: zest from 1/2 of a small lemon
optional garnish: additional parsley, pine nuts, and/or lemon wedges/zest
optional side salad: lightly dressed (I used walnut oil, vinegar, sea salt and pepper) baby spinach and halved grape tomatoes

In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat oil to shimmering. Add onion, garlic, a little salt and some pepper and saute, stirring occasionally until onion is soft, slightly golden, and most of oil is absorbed. Add the tablespoon of water and continue sauteing onion and garlic until the water is evaporated. Add next 6 ingredients beginning with white wine and cook down for a total cooking time of about 12-15 minutes, including the sauteing, reducing heat to closer to medium if necessary. Add parsley, pine nuts, beans, faux chicken, and optional lemon zest, and heat through. Serve immediately garnished as desired and/or with a side salad.

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by betsy

Vegan Sausage, Fennel, White Bean and Kale Stew

Yield: approximately 8 servings

The winter greens in the grocery store are ravishing right now making it impossible not to build some meals around them. This one is such a warm and welcoming dinner to come home to. Plus it’s one of the tastiest infusions of antioxidants and flavorful vegan protein going. But you might have noticed that those are chick peas, not white beans, in the photo. I was in a hurry in a grocery store where I don’t usually shop and reached for the first can I saw with a white colored bean-like object on the front. They were delicious in the stew, so use them if you have them, but next time I’ll use white beans for a little more authentically Italian dish






.

For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

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